Miracles During Oppression

Emmanuel Baptist Church of Nipawin Sermons

Passage: Judges 12:8-13:5 | Message By: Josh Lees | Series: Prone to WanderRecap Last week we heard about the violent and tragic events of Jephthah and his leadership. Don’t make rash vows that attempt to manipulate YHWH. God is calling us to a much better way that does not attempt to fool Him in order to continue to live for ourselves. The week before we witnessed a time of peace seen in the Judges Tola and Jair. Then we witnessed the conversation between YHWH and His people. Despite the perfectly just recourse of handing this rebellious people over to complete destruction, we see God grow impatient over their misery. God raises a judge to deliver them. A Time of Peace As we pick up the narrative in Judges chapter 12, verse 8, we see a quick succession of three judges, not completely dissimilar to the accounts of Tola and Jair in chapter 10. We see after Jephthah’s death that Ibzan of Bethlehem judges Israel. As Ibzan begins his judgeship, and also for the other two judges in this passage, there is no mention of the Israelites worshiping other gods, or coming under oppression by foreigners, or calling out to YHWH for deliverance. This points to the possibility that this was a generally peaceful and prosperous time for God’s people. Ibzan had thirty sons and thirty daughters that he strategically gives to marry men outside his clan. This was a common enough practice in the time to create alliances through marriage. It is significant to note some contrast takes place as we look at the last few chapters of Judges. Ibzan and Jair in chapter 10 create a Jephthah sandwich. We see Ibzan and Jair who have many children, appear to lead Israel in a literally unremarkable way, with a time of peace. Contrasted by a lengthy and detailed description of Jephthah who led during a time of violence, familial conflict, and no descendants. I believe this points to the emphasis of the downward spiral in this time of Israel’s history, which we should not be surprised by in the least at this point in our series. Moving ahead we see two more peaceful transitions of judges. Elon the Zebulunite and then Abdon the Pirathonite. As with Ibzan there is no mention of sin or apostasy, and at least for Abdon, there is much wealth and many children. It is important to note that this people deserves no such peace and prosperity. I sometimes fool myself into believing the lie that I am deserving of all that I desire. Truly we deserve death just as this rebellious people did. How much more because we have God’s Word that warns again and again of the consequences of sin! And yet, we are reminded in this section of Judges how our God honours His covenant and promises, far beyond what he is required. This is the God that we see in Judges chapter 12 and this is the God we serve today. Despite the apparent peace and prosperity of the judges, and I would assume the nation as a whole, we know that this is not going to fool us into letting our guard down. The people are not done teaching how to test God’s faithfulness. The account of Judges has led us to expect, for the most part, a downward trajectory of sin and hardheartedness. The Typical Sin Cycle? So I don’t think there is a gasp of surprise as we move on from the rapid fire succession of peaceful judges into a familiar phrase. Reading from Judges 13:1, “And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord gave them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.” They did what? This is the seventh time we have read a phrase such as this. And with this account, leading into the twelfth judge, we see that “the people of Israel AGAIN did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.” After God delivered them again and again, they turn their backs on YHWH. As the preacher says in Proverbs, “Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly.” (Pr. 26:11). I can’t help but be reminded of this proverb as I become frustrated reading Judges.